Container



March 13, 1945. J. HOTHERSALL 2,371,173

CONTAINER Original Filed March 21 1940 -%;NVENTOR. LW; a.

A TTOENEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1945.

' John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N.

American Can Company,

Y., assignedto NewYoi-k, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Original application March 21, 1940, Serial No.

325,265. Divided and this application March 11, 1942, Serial No. 434,290

2 Claims. (01. 220-20) The present invention relates to sheet metal containers and has particular reference to a compartment container having a one piece body which is divided by a partition hermetically joined to the body. This is a division of my United States application Serial Number 325,265, filed March 21, 1940, on Container and method of producing the same now Patent Number 2,344,986.

In the packaging of certain products under vacuum it is desirable to have a compartment container or can in which one part of the can may be opened without subjecting the entire contents of the can to the atmospheric conditions. By way of example, one such Product is coifee. Coffee when exposed to atmospheric conditions loses its aroma. Thus when a can of coffee is opened the entire contents of the can is exposed to these conditions.

The instant invention contemplates overcomeing these difficulties by providing a compartment can having a hired or hermetically sealed partition so that the compartments may be individually vacuumized after filling and may be independently opened while the unopened compartments remain sealed.

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision of a compartment can wherein the can body is divided into hermetic compartments by one or more partitions joined to the can body in a compound lined hermetic seal so that the compartments after filling may be vacuumized and maintained in sealed condition until independently opened regardless of how many of the other compartments of the can have been opened.

Another object is the provision of such a com partment can wherein the can body is divided into two compartments, the body having a tearing strip at each end thereof and a Separate key for each strip so that one compartment may be opened while the other is maintained under vacuum and may be independently opened when desired.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a compartment can embodying the instant invention, a portion of the can being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail or fragmentary view in vertical section of the upper edge of the can shown in Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 3 is an-enlargeddetail or fragmentary view 7 in vertical section of the intermediate portion of the can, the view showing the compartment partition plate in place.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing discloses a sheet metal compartment.

can which includes a tubular cylindrical body ll (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) having the usual side seam l3. Inside the body there is disposed a circular partition plate l5 having a depending annular flange l6. This partition plate divides the interior of the can into two compartments, an upper compartment I1 and a lower compartment l8. Obviously where more than two compartments are desired two or more partition plates could be inserted within the can body.

The flange iii of the partition plate I! fits snugly within the can body I I and is formed with a preferably outwardly extending annular bead 2| which projects into and interlocks with a similar bead 22 formed in the can body. The partition is thus locked firmly in place. A lining compound 23 of any suitable plastic material is interposed between the beads 2|, 22 and this compound renders the partition joint hermetic.

After the upper compartment I1 is filled with I its contents it is preferably vacuumized and sealed with'a top closure 25. This closure is preferably of the countersunk panel type having a central raised reenforcing panel. The raised panel includes a fiat top wall section 26 which at its outer edge merges into an outwardly and downwardly sloping wall section 21. The outer lower edge of this sloping wall section merges into a fiat bottom wall section 28 of the countersunk panel. The bottom wall section 28 of the countersunk panel merges into an upwardly extending vertical wall section 29 which snugly fits within the body I! of the can and when the parts are thus seamed together, the double seam. marked 32, is

beyond or above the fiat wall 26 of the closure.

I After the upper half of the can is thus closed it may be inverted and the lower compartment l8 filled with its contents. After such a filling operation the bottom compartment with its contents is vacuumized and the can is closed with a bottom closure 34 and sealed. The closure 34 may be identical in construction to the top closure 25 just described and may be secured in place in the same manner. The can with its two independent contents may now be ready for labeling or other operation incident to putting it into regular channels of trade.

The compartments l1. l8 are adapted to be opened independently, as desired, and for. this 2 aavmrs purpose the canwaliat eachend adjacent its doubleseamllisprovidedwithapairofspaced and parallel score lines ll which extend entirely around the body. These score lines set oil a narrow tearing strip 42 at each end of the can, each of which terminates adjacent the body side seam is in a starting tongue 48 which projects beyond the seam on the outside of the body.

Removalofthesetearingstripsintheusual manner when it is desired to open the can may be effected by a key ll. Preferably there are two of these keys, one secured to the top closure and one secured to the bottom closure of the can by soldering or welding as desired. Each key is formed with a slot 4' of usual construction in which one of the tongues 43 is inserted when removing the corresponding strip.

With this construction of compartment can, opening of one compartment does not disturb the vacuum or other condition in the other. Thus for such products as coifee only one half of the can need be opened at one time while the coffee in the unopened compartment will be maintained in a fresh condition until opened. Maintenance of the sealed condition in the unopened compartment is made possible by the hermetic partition plate which is tightly joined to the can body in the compound lined joint.

container comprising a tubular body having anoutwardly pressed circumferential groove 'arcuateincrosssectiondisposedintermediatesaid endclosures,parallelsoorelinescutinsaidbody adjacent the sealed end of each compartment to set oif removable tearing strips, a partition plate disposed within said'body and having a continuous peripheral flange bridging the groove of the body and having its mid-portion only outwardly curved to provide a peripheral bead arcuaia in cross section and of smaller diameter than the diameter of said body groove. said head fitting within the circumferential groove of said body to leave a circumferential space, and a. plastic sealing compound disposed in said body groove adjacent said partition flange to provide a hermetic joint between the aforesaid compartments.

2. A tearing strip compartment container having hermetically sealed end closures, each compartment being adapted for vacuumizing, said container comprising a tubular body member, parallel score lines cut in said body member adjacent the sealed end of each compartment to setoif removable tearing strips, a partition plate disposed within said body member and having a continuous peripheral flange member, one of said members having a circumferential groove having its inner surface arcuate in cross section and the other of said members having a circumferential portion bridging said groove and hav- 30 ing its bridging portion curved to provide a bead arcuate in cross section,,the surface of said head opposed to the inner surface of said groove being of smaller cross sectional diameter than the cross sectional diameter of the inner surface of said u groove, said bead fitting within the groove to leave a circumferential space therebetween with the peripheral flange member circumferentially engaging the body member on opposite sides of the groove, and a sealing compound disposed in so said groove to provide a hermetic joint between the aforesaid compartments.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL. 

